Big dumb rock riffs an
Eagles of Death Metal - Death By Sexy...
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Review by Tony Bonyata
Before you go tearing for the hills after hearing the name of this band it should be noted that Eagles of Death Metal are definitely not death metal. Instead this duo, consisting of Queens of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and journalist-turned-vocalist / guitarist Jesse Hughes along with an assembled cast of studio musicians, actually taps into the best of classic '70s hard rock riffs, stadium anthems and over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek unadulterated hedonistic fun.
On their second proper (or improper, as is the case with much of the subject matter here) full-length album, Death By Sexy..., Homme and Hughes churn out one great, smile-inducing rocker after another. From the T. Rex metallic chug of "Don't Speak (I Came To Make A BANG!)" and "I Like To Move in The Night" to the drunk swagger of The Stones (circa '72) on "Keep Your Head Up" to the deranged, acoustic southern gospel of "Bag O' Miracles" and rough-hewn country blues-turned psycho-billy rocker of "Chase The Devil," this 13 track collection turns out to be as well-rounded as it is an unavoidable guilty pleasure.
The knuckleheaded cliched riffs, silly scorching guitar leads and heavy-handed hooks on the unbridled opening smoker "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)," "I Gotta Feeling (Just Nineteen)"and "Cherry Cola" draw similarities to Detroit garage rock/disco lizards Electric Six, but instead of adding the deep growl of Tom Jones, (as Electric Six frontman Dick Valentine does) Hughes' falsetto coos and yelps only help to better set-up their ham-fisted punch-lines.
"You see us comin' and we'll make you scream. We are the stars of your teen dream. We'll give you shakes and we'll make you sweat. We're Solid Gold," Hughes purrs on the delectable acoustic-driven "Solid Gold." And after being won over with just one run-through of this deliriously fun record, it's hard to argue.
Nevermind that there's a bit of filler here (The Ballad of Queen Bee & Baby Duck" and "Eagles Goth"), because the trumped up, sleazy rock that table-dances throughout the rest of the album is well worth both the price of admission and two-drink minimum.
In the liner notes the Eagles of Death Metal state that the purpose of this album is "to make Little Richard proud." And to paraphrase one of Richard Penniman's stage lines, Death By Sexy... is one new release that's sure to make his big toe shoot up into the tip of his boot.